She thought she would be more obedient after a beating, but when she opened her mouth, she was still so defiant. Ye Tinglan snorted coldly and flicked his sleeve back to the main hall.
The bracelet contained medicine that quickly reduced swelling and relieved pain. As Feng Yinwan swallowed it, she felt a cool sensation surge through her body, quickly gathering at the wound. The pain had already eased considerably.
Seeing this, Yuping hurried to support her. "Miss, should you have a physician take a look? This..."
Her eyes were filled with worry, but Feng Yinwan shook her head. "Help me up first."
The show hadn't begun yet; how could it proceed without the main character?
Supported by Yuping back to the main hall, Feng Yinwan could not sit down and could only stand in the middle of the hall. However, her figure was naturally tall, and she looked completely ungraceful, exuding an unbidden aura of power.
A flicker of jealousy crossed Qin Rulian's eyes, and she secretly signaled to Granny Sun. Granny Sun understood and immediately rushed forward.
"Wasn't the lesson just now enough? Even now, the Princess Consort is still eloquent. Do you think the Prince will be fooled!"
Seeing this, Qin Rulian immediately bit her lip and said, "Brother Tinglan, Rulian can hardly believe that this matter was indeed done by the Princess Consort. Rulian..."
As she spoke, her eyes turned red, and she pretended to choke back a sob before starting to wipe away tears.
Feng Yinwan watched their synchronized performance with cold eyes and sneered.
"This matter has not yet been investigated, and based solely on this old woman's words, Miss Qin has already judged me guilty?"
"When did I, this Princess Consort, become more capable than the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple, able to know the whole story just by listening?"
Choked by her words, Qin Rulian stopped crying, her eyes darting a dark glance, and then she said softly.
"Sister, why must you be so sharp? It's not that Rulian doesn't believe you, but where there's smoke, there's fire. How dare Granny Sun, a mere servant, slander you without proof?"
Granny Sun, seeing this, immediately pushed her old face forward in cooperation.
"Exactly! Miss Qin is reasonable. Would I, this old servant, beat myself up to slander the Princess Consort? My Lord, you must uphold justice for me!"
Ye Tinglan was annoyed by Granny Sun's rough voice and pressed his temples impatiently. Then he saw Feng Yinwan looking at him intently.
"My Lord, you may not believe what this humble consort says, but I have another witness. I wonder if you would believe what he says."
Not knowing who she meant by witness, Ye Tinglan pursed his lips. "If what you say is true, this Prince will naturally believe it."
Feng Yinwan's lips curled into a faint smile. "Good."
After she spoke, she whispered to Yuping. Yuping, having received the order, quickly went out.
Feng Yinwan touched her slightly better buttocks and placed the cushion on the chair, sitting down carefully on the edge.
"The Prince has punished me, and his anger should have subsided by now. This consort is very thirsty. If I could have a sip of hot tea, I would die without regrets."
Ye Tinglan glanced at her and waved his hand impatiently. "Give her tea."
Qi Xuan, the great victim, once again tremblingly accepted the task.
Fearing being slapped by Feng Yinwan, he carefully approached Feng Yinwan with the teacup, almost scared by her gaze.
"Princess Consort, the tea..."
Feng Yinwan did not blame him and nodded faintly before reaching out to take it. Then, under everyone's gaze, she took a slow sip.
Qin Rulian watched her leisurely demeanor, unable to figure out what she was up to, and felt a surge of anxiety.
Curving her lips, she asked casually, "I wonder who the witness the Princess Consort mentioned is?"
Feng Yinwan hooked her lips. "Miss Qin, why are you in such a hurry? You'll know soon enough."
Fragrant mist rose from the teacup, obscuring some of the emotion in Feng Yinwan's beautiful eyes. Qin Rulian could not fathom it any further. Biting her lip, she had no choice but to look at Granny Sun secretly.
Yesterday, after hearing the news, she had sent Granny Sun to deliver a message to Pang Liu. According to Granny Sun, she was caught by Feng Yinwan on her way back and did not reveal Pang Liu's whereabouts.
Therefore, this slut could not possibly know where Pang Liu was.
Yes, absolutely impossible!
Feng Yinwan calmly finished her tea, and Yuping happened to return with someone.
As soon as the guards from the General's Mansion entered, Granny Sun's face changed instantly. Frightened, she covered her nose and kept hiding behind.
Ye Tinglan frowned and looked at the man who was still asleep, asking suspiciously, "Who is this person?"
Feng Yinwan's lips curled, and with a slight wave of her hand, the guard removed the hood from Pang Liu's head.
Although Pang Liu looked a bit disheveled, Ye Tinglan recognized his identity at a glance. Before he could speak, a shattering sound of porcelain reached his ears.
Qin Rulian's face turned pale, and behind her, the vase that had been on the shelf had fallen and shattered into pieces.
Feng Yinwan chuckled. "What's wrong, Miss Qin? Why is your face so pale all of a sudden?"
Qin Rulian was still startled. After being nudged by Fei Se, she came to her senses. Seeing Ye Tinglan looking at her, she immediately waved her hand.
"It's... it's nothing."
Feng Yinwan raised her eyebrows. "You look like you've seen a ghost, and yet you say you're fine. What, Miss Qin, do you recognize him?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Rulian trembled again, bit her lip, and forcefully suppressed the unusual expression on her face.
"I don't recognize him...!"
"You don't recognize him?"
Feng Yinwan did not expect her to be so foolish as to say she didn't recognize him.
Her red lips curved, and she said lazily, "This is strange. I, this Princess Consort, can recognize this person as the coachman of the mansion. Miss Qin, who has been managing the affairs of the mansion for two years, now says she doesn't recognize him."
"Miss Qin, have you forgotten? On the day of the grand ceremony to enter the palace, it was he who drove you and the Prince."
Realizing she had made a mistake, Qin Rulian gritted her teeth secretly, her fingers tightly clenching her skirt.
After her expression slowly stabilized, she pretended to be fine and said.
"Oh, it seems Rulian didn't see clearly just now."
"Sister is right. This person is indeed the coachman Pang Liu of the mansion, but he returned home to visit his family some days ago. How did he end up with Sister..."
Her excuse was clumsy. Ye Tinglan's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and his gaze quietly darkened a little.
Before he could speak, Feng Yinwan raised her eyebrows and curved her lips again.
"Miss Qin, you are mistaken. Visiting family doesn't usually involve going to a gambling house. When I found him, he was in a private room on the second floor of the gambling house in the West Market."
She had not expected Feng Yinwan to know the location in such detail. At this moment, not only Qin Rulian but also Granny Sun's face turned ashen.
How could this be...
How could this slut know!
They looked at each other with disbelief and unparalleled fear. Before they could think of anything, they saw Feng Yinwan smile charmingly and radiantly.
"Didn't Miss Qin already determine the cause of this matter just now? I, this Princess Consort, will now have him speak and see who is right."
As she spoke, her pretty face turned cold, and she suddenly dropped her smile. Her beautiful eyes fixed on Pang Liu, her gaze filled with a chilling depth.
"Yuping, splash him awake for me."